第二份英文作業/2018.02.21-2018.06.22/邱申晴:修訂版本之間的差異
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你是早起的人還是夜貓子呢?這是給將近9萬人的問卷調查中的唯一問題,是由Youna Hu博士和她在23andMe的團隊所進行。這些科學家正在試圖揭示人們將自己描述為早起的人或晚起的人的比例是多少,以及是否會因此造成健康上的影響。他們的發現對很多的方面都很重要。 | 你是早起的人還是夜貓子呢?這是給將近9萬人的問卷調查中的唯一問題,是由Youna Hu博士和她在23andMe的團隊所進行。這些科學家正在試圖揭示人們將自己描述為早起的人或晚起的人的比例是多少,以及是否會因此造成健康上的影響。他們的發現對很多的方面都很重要。 | ||
− | + | 人們長期就知道動物,包括人類,會受到所謂的晝夜節律影響。這是身體休息和活動的自然循環,隨著24小時的白天和黑夜。某些行為、心理與生理變化都歸因於晝夜節律。 | |
===2018.04.23=== | ===2018.04.23=== | ||
+ | ====Early Birds Versus Night Owls==== | ||
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+ | There are a wide variety of rhythms that account for people claiming to be more alert and happier in the morning or in the evening. Of course, some people describe themselves as neither early risers nor late sleepers. | ||
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+ | The research conducted by Dr. Hu and her team revealed some interesting results. Women and people over 60 years of age were more likely to regard themselves as morning people. The differences between the sexes and between different age groups were both statistically significant. Other results showed that night owls reported more problems with sleeping such as insomnia or night sweats. This group also tended to be overweight and suffer from depression. Morning people, on the other hand, needed less sleep and slept more soundly. These conclusions were reach by studying the DNA from spit samples voluntarily collected by the subjects of the study. The results show that there are 15 genetic markers thought to be responsible for circadian rhythms. Thanks to Dr. Hu and her team, we may be closer than ever to understanding how sleep is affected by other personal traits. | ||
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+ | 人們聲稱在早晨或傍晚更加警覺和快樂的節奏各式各樣。當然,有些人把自己描述既不是早起的人也不是晚睡的人。 | ||
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+ | 胡博士和她的團隊進行的研究揭示了一些有趣的結果。女性和60歲以上的人更可能認為自己是早起的人。統計上,兩性之間和不同年齡曾之間的差異都相當顯著。其他結果顯示,夜貓子表示有更多的睡眠問題,如失眠或盜汗。這種人也往往會有超重和患抑鬱症。另一方面,早起的人需要較少的睡眠,且睡得更香甜。這些結論通過研究唾液樣本的DNA得出,這個研究的研究對象自願收集。結果顯示有15種被認為和晝夜節律有關的遺傳標記。感謝胡博士和她的團隊,我們或許比以往更能夠了解睡眠是如何受到其他個人特質的影響。 | ||
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===2018.04.30=== | ===2018.04.30=== | ||
+ | ====Juniper Beats the Odds==== | ||
+ | Juniper came into the world 16 weeks ahead of schedule. As a result, she was the size of a newborn kitten when she was born. Doctors performed tests and worked around the clock to keep her alive. Despite their best attempts, the situation seemed grim. Her father, Tom, had a somewhat unusual response to the situation. Every day, he would visit her in the hospital and read to her from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Tom dreamed that one day his daughter would live to hear the end of the series. Of course, at that time Juniper did not understand one word of the story. Yet for some reason, the words had an effect on her. When she heard Tom reading, Juniper would breathe calmly and her temperature would stabilize. Whenever he would stop, her condition would worsen. | ||
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+ | Juniper提前16週來到這個世界上。所以她出生時就只有新生小貓的大小。醫生們進行測試,並且晝夜不停地工作讓他活下來。儘管他們最好方法都嘗試了,但情況似乎很不好。她的父親湯姆對這種情型有著不尋常的反應。每天他都會去醫院探望她,然後念「哈利波特和魔法石」給他聽,湯姆夢想有一天他的女兒會活著聽完這系列的結局。當然,那時的Juniper並不理解這個故事的任何一個字。但由於某種原因,這些話對她產生了影響。當她聽到湯姆在說故事時,Juniper的呼吸會慢慢平靜,且她的體溫也會穩定下來。每當他停下來,她的病情就會惡化。 | ||
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===2018.05.07=== | ===2018.05.07=== | ||
+ | ====Juniper Beats the Odds==== | ||
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+ | Against all odds, Juniper survived. Five years later, she was attending kindergarten and doing well. One day, she came home and found a package sent from Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a gift from J.K. Rowling. The legendary author had heard Juniper's story on a podcast and was deeply moved. On this podcast, Juniper's mother talked about how Rowling's books were sacred texts to their family. Rowling's stories taught them about love and bravery, and guided them through the darkest period of their lives. When they opened the package, they found a complete set of Harry Potter books. Rowling even signed one, "To Juniper, The Girl Who Lived!" A few months later, Juniper and her family were able to return the favor. They sent Rowling an autographed copy of their book about Juniper's life and thanked her for the magical words, which had helped Juniper survive. | ||
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+ | Juniper克服了一切的困難存活下來了。五年之後,她在幼兒園就讀且過得很好。有一天,她回到家後發現一個從蘇格蘭的愛丁堡寄來的包裹。是J.K. 羅玲給他的禮物。這位著名作者曾在播客中聽到Juniper的故事並深受感動。在這個播客中,Juniper的母親談論了關於羅琳的書在他們家像是聖書。羅琳的故事教導他們愛與勇敢,並帶領他們度過生命中最黑暗的時期。當他們打開包裹時,他們發現了一套完整的哈利波特書。羅琳甚至在一本書上簽了「給Juniper,活下來的女孩!」 幾個月後,Juniper和她的家人才得以回報這個恩惠。他們向羅琳寄出了一本親筆簽名、關於Juniper人生的書,並感謝她寫下那些神奇的詞語,因為這些幫助了Juniper活下來。 | ||
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===2018.05.14=== | ===2018.05.14=== | ||
+ | ====EAT INSECTS'TO SAVE THE PLANET==== | ||
+ | There are lots of things you can do to lower your impact on the environment. For example, you can take public transportation instead of driving to work, turn the lights and appliances off when you leave the house, or chow down on a pile of insects for dinner instead of a juicy steak. That's right, the sale of insects as food might be the solution to meeting the growing demand for food caused by a rising global population. | ||
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+ | Mireille D'Ornano, a French member of the European Parliament, defended that position saying, "The nutritional value of insects is similar to that of meat products... The environmental impact of raising insects for human food is also lower in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Insects would thus be an alternative solution to meeting the world's food needs.In the EU, foods made from insects are available, though none have yet been formally authorized for marketing." | ||
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+ | 你可以做許多事情來降低對環境的影響。例如,你可以乘坐大眾運輸工具來代替開車上班,當你離開家時關掉電燈和電器,或者在晚餐時吃一堆昆蟲,而不是多汁的牛排。沒錯,把昆蟲賣來當食物 可能是滿足全球人口不斷增長,所造成對食物需求增加的解決方案。 | ||
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+ | 歐洲議會法國成員Mireille D'Ornano以這個立場表示說:「昆蟲的營養價值與肉製品的營養價值相同...在溫室氣體排放方面,飼養昆蟲來當人類的食物,對環境的影響也較低。因此昆蟲成為滿足世界食物需求的替代解決方案。在歐盟,儘管由昆蟲製成的食物沒有一個獲得正式的營銷授權,但是是可購買的。」 | ||
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===2018.05.21=== | ===2018.05.21=== | ||
+ | ====EAT INSECTS'TO SAVE THE PLANET==== | ||
+ | Other countries have taken a long hard look at the laws about serving up insects at restaurants and grocery stores. In America and Canada, food that contains insects must be properly labeled, and the bugs have to be bred for human consumption. Asian countries like Thailand and China don't have any regulations about the sale of bugs as food, and dishes containing insects are widely considered traditional culinary treats. Over in Europe, Denmark, Belgium, Britain, and the Netherlands all regulate the marketing, sale, and eating of insects as food products. Some people are grossed out by the idea, but a reported two billion people worldwide already dine on insects as part of their diet. So dig into a plate of crickets or mealworms and do your part to save the Earth. | ||
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+ | 其他國家對於在餐廳和雜貨店賣昆蟲的法律嚴格審視。在美國和加拿大,含有昆蟲的食物必須有正確的標籤,且這些蟲子必須是專為人類吃而繁殖的。亞洲國家像泰國和中國沒有任何有關販售食用蟲子的規定,而含有昆蟲的菜餚被廣泛認為是傳統的菜餚。在歐洲,丹麥,比利時,英國和荷蘭將昆蟲推銷、販賣和把昆蟲當時品都有規定。一些人對這個想法感到噁心,但根據報導全世界已有20億人已將昆蟲當作飲食的一部分。因此,有人會挖一盤蟋蟀或粉蟲(來吃),儘自己的本分來拯救地球。 | ||
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===2018.05.28=== | ===2018.05.28=== | ||
+ | ====The Puffins Are Back!==== | ||
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+ | In certain parts of their habitat range, Atlantic puffins have been disappearing off the face of the Earth. Recently, their conservation status was downgraded from near threatened to vulnerable. This means that in some areas where Atlantic puffins are found, their numbers are decreasing at an alarming rate. All hope is not lost, though, because millions of puffins live comfortably on or near the country of Iceland in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. | ||
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+ | This species of puffin would be sorely missed if they were to become extinct. Sometimes lovingly called "the clown of the sea" after its penguin-like walk or the "sea parrot" for its brilliantly colored red and black beak and bright orange webbed feet, these puffins are truly endearing. | ||
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+ | 在大西洋海鸚棲息範圍的某些地區,它們已經從地球表面消失了。最近,它們的保育狀況從接近受威脅降至易受傷害。這意味著在一些能找到大西洋海鸚的地區,他們的數量正以驚人的速度下降。不過不是沒有希望,因為有數百萬隻海鸚在北大西洋中間的冰島或冰島附近舒適的生活。 | ||
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+ | 如果海鸚這物種滅絕的話,人們會非常想念它。有時候海鸚因為企鵝般的腳步被稱「海中的小丑」,或者因其色彩鮮豔的紅黑鳥嘴和亮橙色蹼腳而被稱做「海鸚鵡」,這些海鸚真的很討人喜歡。 | ||
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===2018.06.04=== | ===2018.06.04=== | ||
+ | ====The Puffins Are Back!==== | ||
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+ | These sea birds also have black feathers on their back and white feathers on their chests, which look similar to many species of penguins. Like penguins, they are more comfortable in the water, but unlike penguins, puffins can fly for short distances at speeds of nearly 90 kilometers per hour. | ||
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+ | The natural habitat of puffins covers huge areas of the North Atlantic from Greenland to New England on the western seaboard and from Scandinavia to Morocco on its eastern boundary. Until the mid-20th century, people hunted puffins for their meat and eggs, but their dwindling numbers put a stop to that. Conservation laws now protect puffins from hunting and habitat destruction. In at least one case, they were even brought back to a former natural habitat they had abandoned nearly a century ago. | ||
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+ | 這些海鳥的背也有黑色羽毛,胸部有白色羽毛,看上去很像許多品種的企鵝。跟企鵝一樣,它們在水中更舒適,但跟企鵝不一樣的是,海鸚可以用近90公里的時速短距離的飛行。 | ||
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+ | 海鸚的自然棲息地覆蓋了大面積的北部大西洋,從格陵蘭到西部海岸的新英格蘭,以及斯堪地那維亞半島到東部邊界的摩洛哥。直到20世紀中葉,人們還會為了海鸚的肉和蛋而去獵捕它們,但因為它們的數量逐漸減少了所以就停止了這個行為。保育法律現在保護海鸚免受獵補和棲息地遭破壞。在至少一個案例中,它們甚至被帶回到將近在一個世紀前就被它們放棄的舊自然棲息地。 | ||
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===2018.06.11=== | ===2018.06.11=== | ||
+ | ====The Puffins Are Back!==== | ||
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+ | Some islands in Maine used to have many large colonies of Atlantic puffins, but thanks to hunting and pollution, they all but disappeared. That is until a young biologist decided to do something about it. Dr. Stephen Kress initiated Project Puffin in 1973 to try to bring back this beautiful and interesting species. Like salmon, Atlantic puffins return to where they were born even after being separated from their nests for several years. In addition, just like penguins, puffins are highly social, meaning they form huge nesting colonies. Therefore, if puffins don't see other puffins nearby, they don't want to stick around. | ||
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+ | 緬因州的一些島曾經有許多大群體的大西洋海鸚,但由於狩獵和污染,它們幾乎都消失了。直到一位年輕的生物學家決定要為它們做點什麼事。Stephen Kress於1973年發起了海鸚計畫,試圖帶回這個美麗又有趣的物種。像鮭魚一樣,大西洋海鸚即使在離巢的幾年之後也會返回到它們出生的地方。此外,就像企鵝一樣,海鸚具備高度的社交性,意味著它們會形成了巨大的築巢群體。因此,如果海鸚沒有看見其他的海鸚在附近的話,他們就不想要留在那裏。 | ||
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===2018.06.18=== | ===2018.06.18=== | ||
− | === | + | ====The Puffins Are Back!==== |
− | ===2018.06. | + | |
+ | Dr. Kress worked for years to lure puffins back to several small offshore islands in Maine. He hired a woodcarver to make dozens of decoy puffins of accurate size and colors, which he placed on the shore, hoping real puffins would be attracted to them. He played the sounds of recorded puffin calls on speakers as extra bait. Kress and his team also translocated baby puffins from Canada onto the Maine islands. For years, nothing happened, but eventually the baby puffins grew up and came back. More than 100 nesting pairs currently inhabiting the islands prove that the species has been successfully reintroduced to Maine. This gives the world hope for other populations of Atlantic puffins that have died out in some areas to be brought back. | ||
+ | Kress博士多年來的工作是將海鸚引誘回緬因州離岸的幾個小島嶼上。他僱傭了一位木雕家製作許多尺寸顏色很精準的誘餌海鸚,把它放在岸邊,希望真正的海鸚會被吸引過來。他用喇叭播錄好的海鸚的聲音作為額外的誘餌。Kress和他的團隊也將小海鸚從加拿大移到緬因州的島嶼上。多年來,什麼都沒有發生,但最終小海鸚長大並且回來了。目前居住在島上的100多對一起巢穴的海鸚證明該物種已成功地重新引入緬因州。這給世界帶來希望,能將大西洋海鸚帶去到其他海鸚滅絕的地方。 | ||
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+ | ===2018.06.25=== | ||
+ | ====Rome's Trevi Fountain==== | ||
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+ | When people pass a decorative water fountain, it is a tradition to throw coins in to make wishes for good luck. At the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, there are certain superstitions about what will happen if you toss coins into the water. According to the most popular story, taken from the Academy Award-winning 1954 film, Three Coins in the Fountain, anyone who throws a single coin into the Trevi Fountain will return to Rome. If they throw a second coin, they are supposed to find love, and a third coin will enure that they have a beautiful Roman wedding. | ||
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+ | That explains why there was more than US$2 million in coins when they cleaned out the fountain at the end of 2016. | ||
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+ | 當人們經過觀賞用的噴泉時,投入硬幣來祈求好運是一種傳統。在意大利羅馬的特雷維噴泉,有一些關於如果你把硬幣丟進水中,就會發生什麼事情的迷信。根據最受歡迎的故事,獲獎奧斯卡的1954年電影「噴泉中的三枚硬幣」中,任何把一枚硬幣丟入特雷維噴泉的人將會再回到羅馬。如果他們丟了第二個硬幣,他們就會找到愛,第三個硬幣將確保他們會有一個美麗的羅馬婚禮。 | ||
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+ | 這解釋了為什麼2016年底清理噴泉時有超過200萬美元的硬幣。 |
2018年6月24日 (日) 15:20的最新修訂版本
目錄
2018.02.26
Salty Seattle and Her Unconventional Pasta Art
In the universally acclaimed Pixar movie Inside Out, there is a scene where a dad is having trouble getting his toddler to eat broccoli, a vegetable that incites disgust in most children of that age. For the movie's international release, Pixar replaced broccoli with whatever vegetable was most suitable for a particular region's picky-eating children. When food blogger Linda Miller Nicholson was presented with the challenge of raising a son who turns his nose up at vegetables, she readily accepted it by sneaking them into pasta in wildly imaginative ways.
As a molecular gastronomist known as the "Lady Gaga of Food" by the Cooking Channel, Nicholson regularly approaches food in an original way. However, she has gained fame for her out-of-this-world pasta creations.
在全球廣受好評的皮克斯電影《腦筋急轉彎》,有一個情景是一個爸爸要讓她剛學會走路的幼童吃下花椰菜,大多數那個年紀都厭惡的一種蔬菜,而感到苦惱。這部電影推出的國際版中,皮克斯用最適合特定地區挑食孩童的任何蔬菜去取代花椰菜。當美食部落客Linda Miller Nicholson遇到他兒子不吃蔬菜的挑戰,他欣然地接受並用瘋狂想像力的方式把蔬菜挟進義大利麵中。
在烹飪頻道被稱為「美食界女神卡卡」的分子美食家,Nicholson經常用原始的方式處理食物。然而,他因為不同凡響的義大利麵創作而獲得名聲。
2018.03.05
Salty Seattle and Her Unconventional Pasta Art
They aren't your ordinary pastas with bland colors and dull flavors; they're zany pasta designs with bursts of colors, mesmerizing patterns, homages to art pieces like Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, and other cultural icons using all-natural ingredients. She includes kale, peas, beets, paprika, turmeric, and other ingredients to get the vibrant colors she needs. Then, she documents her pasta masterpieces under her Instagram handle Salty Seattle, which is the name of her former blog.
Nicholson began her journey at the center of the Slow Food Movement in Torino, Italy. From then on, she has appeared on the American version of MasterChef, with celebrity chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay. Now, she's the host of Food Network's Facebook live videos where she regularly teaches people how to utilize her pasta-making techniques. With her own cookbook underway in early 2018, there is no telling what will be next in store for Nicholson.
它們不是平淡顏色、口味單調的普通義大利麵。它們是滑稽有趣的義大利麵設計,色彩鮮艷、迷人的圖案,和對藝術作品的敬意,像維梅爾的戴珍珠耳環的少女,及其他用全食材的文化畫像。她用羽衣甘藍、碗豆、甜菜根、紅辣椒粉、薑黃粉和其他石材得到她需要的鮮豔色彩。然後,她把她的義大利麵傑作記錄在Instagram裡,名字是Salty Seattle,這也是她部落格的名字。
Nicholsony在義大利的Torino慢食運動中心開始她的旅程。從那時候開始,她和名廚和電視名人Gordon Ramsay出現在美國版的《廚神當道》裡。現在,她是食物頻道臉書直播影片的主持人,影片中她經常教人如何利用她製作義大利麵的技巧。她的烹飪書在2018年初出版,沒有人知道Nicholsony將會再做什麼。
2018.03.12
Salty Seattle and Her Unconventional Pasta Art
No one would ever confuse canned food with gourmet cuisine. Its humble origins date back about two centuries and rose up out of the need to keep large quantities of food for hungry armies from spoiling. In 1795, Napoleon Bonaparte, who later became the Emperor of France, offered 12,000 francs to anyone who could come up with a good method of preserving food for his army and navy. Napoleon's incentive led to chef Nicolas Appert designing a system using glass jars, which later led to the use of tin cans for the same purpose. Not only have tin cans been used effectively in times of war, but they have also long been a staple of grocery stores around the world.
沒有人會將罐頭食品與美食搞混。它卑微的起源可以追溯到大約兩個世紀前,因為需要避免給飢餓軍隊的大量食物腐壞。在1795年,後來成為法國皇帝的拿破崙波拿巴(拿破崙一世),提供了12,000法郎給能夠想出好方法能為他的軍隊和海軍保存食物的人。在拿破崙的激勵下,Nicolas Appert廚師設計使用玻璃瓶的方法,後來使用錫罐的方式也是相同的目的。錫罐在戰爭時期不僅被有效使用,他們也一直是世界各地雜貨店的主要商品。
2018.03.19
It might seem a bit odd for a restaurant or bar to put canned food on its menu, and even stranger for an establishment's cuisine to be entirely based on it, but that's exactly the case with a bar and eatery called Mr. Kanso in Japan. The items on offer there are not just your average tins of Spam, although there are five varieties of that famous meat at Mr. Kanso. The restaurant stocks around 350 varieties of canned food from across the world, including seal curry, whale meat, and bacon and honey, just to name a few. This no-frills type of dining, where the food is served cold, straight out of the can, and diners use plastic knives and forks, began in Osaka in 2002. The concept has proven to be a popular one, and the chain has expanded to more than 40 branches across Japan. Napoleon would certainly be impressed with dinner at Mr. Kanso.
餐館或酒吧把罐頭食品放到菜單上看起來似乎有點奇怪,甚至是店家的美食完全都是罐頭食品,但在日本就有一家叫Mr.Kanso的酒吧餐聽就是這樣。儘管Mr. Kanso有五種有名的午餐肉,但那裡提供的食品不是只有一般的午餐肉罐頭,這家餐廳儲存了來自世界各地約350種的罐頭食品,包括咖哩海豹、鯨魚肉、培根和蜂蜜,只舉了幾個例子。這種沒有不提供多餘服務的餐飲類型,從2002年開始在大阪開始,那裡的食物是冷的直接從罐頭取出,客人用塑料的刀叉。這個概念已被證明是一個受歡迎的概念,這個連鎖店在全日本也已經開始擴展到40多家。Mr. Kanso的晚餐肯定會讓拿破崙留下深刻的印象。
2018.03.26
SRI LANKA:A GREAT PLACE TO A ANIMAL WATCH
When choosing a country to visit, some are drawn to a destination like Egypt, for its rich history and spectacular ruins. Others are more interested in a lazy beach holiday in Thailand or the Philippines, while still others will choose a good ecotourism site, such as the island of Sri Lanka, situated off the southeastern coast of India.
For a country of its size, Sri Lanka, which is just under twice the size of Taiwan, has a remarkable number of animal species. In fact, Sri Lanka has the highest density of biodiversity in Asia, and many species are endemic to the island. Among the creatures found on Sri Lanka are Asian elephants, leopards,monkeys, water buffalo, and wild boars.More than 120 species of mammals live on the island, 16 of which are endemic and 14 of which are threatened, such as the sloth bear.
當要選擇一個國家拜訪時,有些人會被吸引到像埃及這樣的地方,因為它有著豐富的歷史和壯觀的遺跡。也有些人對泰國或菲律賓的海灘度假更感興趣,而有些人則會選擇好的生態旅遊地點,如位於印度東南海岸附近的斯里蘭卡島嶼。
斯里蘭卡是土地是比兩倍台灣還小一點的國家,對於這個規模的國家來說,,其動物種類非常多。事實上,斯里蘭卡是亞洲生物多樣性密度最高的國家,許多物種都是島上特有的。 在斯里蘭卡發現的生物包括亞洲象、花豹、猴子、水牛和野豬。島上有超過120多種哺乳類動物,其中16種是當地特有的,其中14種瀕臨滅絕的,如懶熊。
2018.04.02
SRI LANKA:A GREAT PLACE TO A ANIMAL WATCH
There are also more than 400 species of birds and over 140 species of amphibians.
Sri Lanka's government has recognized the value of its wildlife and the allure of traveling to marvel at another country's fauna, so they have set up numerous national parks. The most visited of all the parks is Yala National Park, which is the country's second largest. Covering nearly 1,000 square kilometers, Yala became a wildlife sanctuary in 1900 and was designated as a national park in 1938, making it one of the oldest national parks in the country. The establishment of the park helps with the conservation of many species, including leopards, aquatic birds, and elephants.
還有400多種鳥類和140多種兩棲類動物。
斯里蘭卡政府已經見識到其野生動植物的價值以及旅行到另一個國家看那國動物的魅力,所以他們設立了許多國家公園。所有公園中參觀人數最多的是亞拉國家公園,這是斯里蘭卡的第二大公園。亞拉國家公園佔地近1000平方公里,於1900年成為野生動物保護區,在1938年被指定為國家公園,成為了該國最古老的國家公園之一。 公園的設立有助於保護許多物種,包括花豹,水鳥和大象。
2018.04.09
SRI LANKA:A GREAT PLACE TO A ANIMAL WATCH
A major problem facing many Sri Lankan species is habitat destruction caused by deforestation and water pollution, as well as poaching. Fortunately, efforts are being made to help the country's wildlife. One such initiative is the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, which was founded by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation in 1975. They take in young animals found wandering around in the nation's forests. The orphanage, originally situated in the Wilpattu National Park, started out with just five young elephants. It later relocated to its current site, Pinnawala village in Sabaragamuwa Province. In addition to taking care of orphaned elephants, the facility has run a captive breeding program since 1982.
Given the interest in ecotourism and the public's fascination with elephants, it is not surprising that the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage soon became a popular tourist attraction.
斯里蘭卡裡的許多物種面臨的一個主要問題是因森林砍伐造成棲息地破壞和水污染以及偷獵。幸好,大家正在努力幫助該國的野生動物。品納維拉大象孤兒院就是其中一個計畫,在1975年創立由斯里蘭卡野生動物保護部成立。他們收容被發現在國家森林中徘徊的幼小動物。這個孤兒院最初位於Wilpattu國家公園,一開始只有五隻幼小的大象。後來它遷移到現在的薩伯勒格穆沃省的納維拉村。這個地方自1982年開始,除了照顧孤兒的大像,實施一項圈養繁殖計劃。
鑑於對生態旅遊的興趣和大眾對大象的喜愛,品納瓦拉大象孤兒院很快就成為受歡迎的旅遊景點也不奇怪。
2018.04.16
Early Birds Versus Night Owls
Are you a morning person or a night owl? This was the sole question on a questionnaire given to nearly 90,000 people, administered by Dr. Youna Hu and her team at 23andMe. These scientists were trying to shed light on what proportion of people describe themselves as morning or night people and whether any health implication are attached to this. What they found is important in many ways.
It has long been known that animals, including humans, are subject to what are called circadian rhythms. These are the body's natural cycles of rest and activity, which follow the 24-hour period of light and dark. Certain behavioral, psychological, and physical changes are attributed to circadian rhythms.
你是早起的人還是夜貓子呢?這是給將近9萬人的問卷調查中的唯一問題,是由Youna Hu博士和她在23andMe的團隊所進行。這些科學家正在試圖揭示人們將自己描述為早起的人或晚起的人的比例是多少,以及是否會因此造成健康上的影響。他們的發現對很多的方面都很重要。
人們長期就知道動物,包括人類,會受到所謂的晝夜節律影響。這是身體休息和活動的自然循環,隨著24小時的白天和黑夜。某些行為、心理與生理變化都歸因於晝夜節律。
2018.04.23
Early Birds Versus Night Owls
There are a wide variety of rhythms that account for people claiming to be more alert and happier in the morning or in the evening. Of course, some people describe themselves as neither early risers nor late sleepers.
The research conducted by Dr. Hu and her team revealed some interesting results. Women and people over 60 years of age were more likely to regard themselves as morning people. The differences between the sexes and between different age groups were both statistically significant. Other results showed that night owls reported more problems with sleeping such as insomnia or night sweats. This group also tended to be overweight and suffer from depression. Morning people, on the other hand, needed less sleep and slept more soundly. These conclusions were reach by studying the DNA from spit samples voluntarily collected by the subjects of the study. The results show that there are 15 genetic markers thought to be responsible for circadian rhythms. Thanks to Dr. Hu and her team, we may be closer than ever to understanding how sleep is affected by other personal traits.
人們聲稱在早晨或傍晚更加警覺和快樂的節奏各式各樣。當然,有些人把自己描述既不是早起的人也不是晚睡的人。
胡博士和她的團隊進行的研究揭示了一些有趣的結果。女性和60歲以上的人更可能認為自己是早起的人。統計上,兩性之間和不同年齡曾之間的差異都相當顯著。其他結果顯示,夜貓子表示有更多的睡眠問題,如失眠或盜汗。這種人也往往會有超重和患抑鬱症。另一方面,早起的人需要較少的睡眠,且睡得更香甜。這些結論通過研究唾液樣本的DNA得出,這個研究的研究對象自願收集。結果顯示有15種被認為和晝夜節律有關的遺傳標記。感謝胡博士和她的團隊,我們或許比以往更能夠了解睡眠是如何受到其他個人特質的影響。
2018.04.30
Juniper Beats the Odds
Juniper came into the world 16 weeks ahead of schedule. As a result, she was the size of a newborn kitten when she was born. Doctors performed tests and worked around the clock to keep her alive. Despite their best attempts, the situation seemed grim. Her father, Tom, had a somewhat unusual response to the situation. Every day, he would visit her in the hospital and read to her from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Tom dreamed that one day his daughter would live to hear the end of the series. Of course, at that time Juniper did not understand one word of the story. Yet for some reason, the words had an effect on her. When she heard Tom reading, Juniper would breathe calmly and her temperature would stabilize. Whenever he would stop, her condition would worsen.
Juniper提前16週來到這個世界上。所以她出生時就只有新生小貓的大小。醫生們進行測試,並且晝夜不停地工作讓他活下來。儘管他們最好方法都嘗試了,但情況似乎很不好。她的父親湯姆對這種情型有著不尋常的反應。每天他都會去醫院探望她,然後念「哈利波特和魔法石」給他聽,湯姆夢想有一天他的女兒會活著聽完這系列的結局。當然,那時的Juniper並不理解這個故事的任何一個字。但由於某種原因,這些話對她產生了影響。當她聽到湯姆在說故事時,Juniper的呼吸會慢慢平靜,且她的體溫也會穩定下來。每當他停下來,她的病情就會惡化。
2018.05.07
Juniper Beats the Odds
Against all odds, Juniper survived. Five years later, she was attending kindergarten and doing well. One day, she came home and found a package sent from Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a gift from J.K. Rowling. The legendary author had heard Juniper's story on a podcast and was deeply moved. On this podcast, Juniper's mother talked about how Rowling's books were sacred texts to their family. Rowling's stories taught them about love and bravery, and guided them through the darkest period of their lives. When they opened the package, they found a complete set of Harry Potter books. Rowling even signed one, "To Juniper, The Girl Who Lived!" A few months later, Juniper and her family were able to return the favor. They sent Rowling an autographed copy of their book about Juniper's life and thanked her for the magical words, which had helped Juniper survive.
Juniper克服了一切的困難存活下來了。五年之後,她在幼兒園就讀且過得很好。有一天,她回到家後發現一個從蘇格蘭的愛丁堡寄來的包裹。是J.K. 羅玲給他的禮物。這位著名作者曾在播客中聽到Juniper的故事並深受感動。在這個播客中,Juniper的母親談論了關於羅琳的書在他們家像是聖書。羅琳的故事教導他們愛與勇敢,並帶領他們度過生命中最黑暗的時期。當他們打開包裹時,他們發現了一套完整的哈利波特書。羅琳甚至在一本書上簽了「給Juniper,活下來的女孩!」 幾個月後,Juniper和她的家人才得以回報這個恩惠。他們向羅琳寄出了一本親筆簽名、關於Juniper人生的書,並感謝她寫下那些神奇的詞語,因為這些幫助了Juniper活下來。
2018.05.14
EAT INSECTS'TO SAVE THE PLANET
There are lots of things you can do to lower your impact on the environment. For example, you can take public transportation instead of driving to work, turn the lights and appliances off when you leave the house, or chow down on a pile of insects for dinner instead of a juicy steak. That's right, the sale of insects as food might be the solution to meeting the growing demand for food caused by a rising global population.
Mireille D'Ornano, a French member of the European Parliament, defended that position saying, "The nutritional value of insects is similar to that of meat products... The environmental impact of raising insects for human food is also lower in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Insects would thus be an alternative solution to meeting the world's food needs.In the EU, foods made from insects are available, though none have yet been formally authorized for marketing."
你可以做許多事情來降低對環境的影響。例如,你可以乘坐大眾運輸工具來代替開車上班,當你離開家時關掉電燈和電器,或者在晚餐時吃一堆昆蟲,而不是多汁的牛排。沒錯,把昆蟲賣來當食物 可能是滿足全球人口不斷增長,所造成對食物需求增加的解決方案。
歐洲議會法國成員Mireille D'Ornano以這個立場表示說:「昆蟲的營養價值與肉製品的營養價值相同...在溫室氣體排放方面,飼養昆蟲來當人類的食物,對環境的影響也較低。因此昆蟲成為滿足世界食物需求的替代解決方案。在歐盟,儘管由昆蟲製成的食物沒有一個獲得正式的營銷授權,但是是可購買的。」
2018.05.21
EAT INSECTS'TO SAVE THE PLANET
Other countries have taken a long hard look at the laws about serving up insects at restaurants and grocery stores. In America and Canada, food that contains insects must be properly labeled, and the bugs have to be bred for human consumption. Asian countries like Thailand and China don't have any regulations about the sale of bugs as food, and dishes containing insects are widely considered traditional culinary treats. Over in Europe, Denmark, Belgium, Britain, and the Netherlands all regulate the marketing, sale, and eating of insects as food products. Some people are grossed out by the idea, but a reported two billion people worldwide already dine on insects as part of their diet. So dig into a plate of crickets or mealworms and do your part to save the Earth.
其他國家對於在餐廳和雜貨店賣昆蟲的法律嚴格審視。在美國和加拿大,含有昆蟲的食物必須有正確的標籤,且這些蟲子必須是專為人類吃而繁殖的。亞洲國家像泰國和中國沒有任何有關販售食用蟲子的規定,而含有昆蟲的菜餚被廣泛認為是傳統的菜餚。在歐洲,丹麥,比利時,英國和荷蘭將昆蟲推銷、販賣和把昆蟲當時品都有規定。一些人對這個想法感到噁心,但根據報導全世界已有20億人已將昆蟲當作飲食的一部分。因此,有人會挖一盤蟋蟀或粉蟲(來吃),儘自己的本分來拯救地球。
2018.05.28
The Puffins Are Back!
In certain parts of their habitat range, Atlantic puffins have been disappearing off the face of the Earth. Recently, their conservation status was downgraded from near threatened to vulnerable. This means that in some areas where Atlantic puffins are found, their numbers are decreasing at an alarming rate. All hope is not lost, though, because millions of puffins live comfortably on or near the country of Iceland in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean.
This species of puffin would be sorely missed if they were to become extinct. Sometimes lovingly called "the clown of the sea" after its penguin-like walk or the "sea parrot" for its brilliantly colored red and black beak and bright orange webbed feet, these puffins are truly endearing.
在大西洋海鸚棲息範圍的某些地區,它們已經從地球表面消失了。最近,它們的保育狀況從接近受威脅降至易受傷害。這意味著在一些能找到大西洋海鸚的地區,他們的數量正以驚人的速度下降。不過不是沒有希望,因為有數百萬隻海鸚在北大西洋中間的冰島或冰島附近舒適的生活。
如果海鸚這物種滅絕的話,人們會非常想念它。有時候海鸚因為企鵝般的腳步被稱「海中的小丑」,或者因其色彩鮮豔的紅黑鳥嘴和亮橙色蹼腳而被稱做「海鸚鵡」,這些海鸚真的很討人喜歡。
2018.06.04
The Puffins Are Back!
These sea birds also have black feathers on their back and white feathers on their chests, which look similar to many species of penguins. Like penguins, they are more comfortable in the water, but unlike penguins, puffins can fly for short distances at speeds of nearly 90 kilometers per hour.
The natural habitat of puffins covers huge areas of the North Atlantic from Greenland to New England on the western seaboard and from Scandinavia to Morocco on its eastern boundary. Until the mid-20th century, people hunted puffins for their meat and eggs, but their dwindling numbers put a stop to that. Conservation laws now protect puffins from hunting and habitat destruction. In at least one case, they were even brought back to a former natural habitat they had abandoned nearly a century ago.
這些海鳥的背也有黑色羽毛,胸部有白色羽毛,看上去很像許多品種的企鵝。跟企鵝一樣,它們在水中更舒適,但跟企鵝不一樣的是,海鸚可以用近90公里的時速短距離的飛行。
海鸚的自然棲息地覆蓋了大面積的北部大西洋,從格陵蘭到西部海岸的新英格蘭,以及斯堪地那維亞半島到東部邊界的摩洛哥。直到20世紀中葉,人們還會為了海鸚的肉和蛋而去獵捕它們,但因為它們的數量逐漸減少了所以就停止了這個行為。保育法律現在保護海鸚免受獵補和棲息地遭破壞。在至少一個案例中,它們甚至被帶回到將近在一個世紀前就被它們放棄的舊自然棲息地。
2018.06.11
The Puffins Are Back!
Some islands in Maine used to have many large colonies of Atlantic puffins, but thanks to hunting and pollution, they all but disappeared. That is until a young biologist decided to do something about it. Dr. Stephen Kress initiated Project Puffin in 1973 to try to bring back this beautiful and interesting species. Like salmon, Atlantic puffins return to where they were born even after being separated from their nests for several years. In addition, just like penguins, puffins are highly social, meaning they form huge nesting colonies. Therefore, if puffins don't see other puffins nearby, they don't want to stick around.
緬因州的一些島曾經有許多大群體的大西洋海鸚,但由於狩獵和污染,它們幾乎都消失了。直到一位年輕的生物學家決定要為它們做點什麼事。Stephen Kress於1973年發起了海鸚計畫,試圖帶回這個美麗又有趣的物種。像鮭魚一樣,大西洋海鸚即使在離巢的幾年之後也會返回到它們出生的地方。此外,就像企鵝一樣,海鸚具備高度的社交性,意味著它們會形成了巨大的築巢群體。因此,如果海鸚沒有看見其他的海鸚在附近的話,他們就不想要留在那裏。
2018.06.18
The Puffins Are Back!
Dr. Kress worked for years to lure puffins back to several small offshore islands in Maine. He hired a woodcarver to make dozens of decoy puffins of accurate size and colors, which he placed on the shore, hoping real puffins would be attracted to them. He played the sounds of recorded puffin calls on speakers as extra bait. Kress and his team also translocated baby puffins from Canada onto the Maine islands. For years, nothing happened, but eventually the baby puffins grew up and came back. More than 100 nesting pairs currently inhabiting the islands prove that the species has been successfully reintroduced to Maine. This gives the world hope for other populations of Atlantic puffins that have died out in some areas to be brought back. Kress博士多年來的工作是將海鸚引誘回緬因州離岸的幾個小島嶼上。他僱傭了一位木雕家製作許多尺寸顏色很精準的誘餌海鸚,把它放在岸邊,希望真正的海鸚會被吸引過來。他用喇叭播錄好的海鸚的聲音作為額外的誘餌。Kress和他的團隊也將小海鸚從加拿大移到緬因州的島嶼上。多年來,什麼都沒有發生,但最終小海鸚長大並且回來了。目前居住在島上的100多對一起巢穴的海鸚證明該物種已成功地重新引入緬因州。這給世界帶來希望,能將大西洋海鸚帶去到其他海鸚滅絕的地方。
2018.06.25
Rome's Trevi Fountain
When people pass a decorative water fountain, it is a tradition to throw coins in to make wishes for good luck. At the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, there are certain superstitions about what will happen if you toss coins into the water. According to the most popular story, taken from the Academy Award-winning 1954 film, Three Coins in the Fountain, anyone who throws a single coin into the Trevi Fountain will return to Rome. If they throw a second coin, they are supposed to find love, and a third coin will enure that they have a beautiful Roman wedding.
That explains why there was more than US$2 million in coins when they cleaned out the fountain at the end of 2016.
當人們經過觀賞用的噴泉時,投入硬幣來祈求好運是一種傳統。在意大利羅馬的特雷維噴泉,有一些關於如果你把硬幣丟進水中,就會發生什麼事情的迷信。根據最受歡迎的故事,獲獎奧斯卡的1954年電影「噴泉中的三枚硬幣」中,任何把一枚硬幣丟入特雷維噴泉的人將會再回到羅馬。如果他們丟了第二個硬幣,他們就會找到愛,第三個硬幣將確保他們會有一個美麗的羅馬婚禮。
這解釋了為什麼2016年底清理噴泉時有超過200萬美元的硬幣。